It Started With Coffee
by heartjogia
Summary: AU/UK Setting Tori starts a new school in London - why can't she stop thinking about the guy she spilled coffee over on her first day? The guy who already has a girlfriend? Bori
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N:**_

 _ **I've never written Victorious fanfic before, but lately I have been reading quite a bit - especially Bori fics and have been rewatching the entire series from the Pilot. As many of you feel, I believe Beck has much more chemistry with Tori rather than with Jade (who I do love). There are a number of moments in particular - The kiss in the Pilot episode, the way Beck grabs Tori's hand in "The Breakfast Bunch" when they are running with their taco's from the vice principle, and there's a look he gives her during the song in "April Fool's Blank" when she grabs him and Andre to her. Yeah... I wouldn't mind Avan Jogia looking at me like that!**_

 _ **So... this is MY version. Yes, they're in school, but it's set in the UK and is kinda AU. They're not going to be performers - but there will be some singing and acting in a way.**_

 _ **I have noticed there have been many recent Victorious stories posted, so I'm not expecting many reviewers or anything, but if anyone**_ **does** _ **read it, I hope you enjoy!**_

 _ **It Started With Coffee...**_

 _ **Chapter One**_

 **Tori POV:**

The first day of a new school year and I couldn't decide what to wear. Attending a new school in the heart of London after having grown up in the midlands scared the hell out of me. Was I going to fit in or make friends? It was bad enough that my sister, Trina, had already been going there for a year thanks to moving with our dad when he got started in his new job. Mum wanted me to finish up the school year in my old school while she sold our house.

Trina and I used to be really close, but since she'd been living in London, she'd changed. . . Her attitude had gotten way out of control and she was all about designer clothes and pretty boys. It made me determined not to have the same thing happen to me.

I missed my friends, particularly Sandy, the girl I'd grown up with. She'd been my best friend for twelve years and had been through everything with me. My first period, first bra, and first kiss with Sean McMichael. We spent every Friday night in my room, tucked up under my duvet talking about our lives.

The day I found out we were moving, I cried for three hours on her shoulder. I didn't want to leave her and our other friends. We made the most of the time we had and made promises to stay connected via The Slap and text. Two weeks after the end of term, Mum and me finally packed up the rest of our stuff into a van and made the two hour drive into London. Sandy sent me a message that evening as I unpacked my room to let me know that Sean had asked her out and they were going on a date.

I wasn't sure how I felt about my best friend and my ex getting together, but considering I wasn't there anymore, there was nothing I could do about it. All I could do was send her a message back wishing them well, even if I didn't mean it.

"Hey baby sister." Trina stuck her head round my door.

"Hey Treen." I sat on my bed, leaning back against the wall behind it.

"What's up?" I watched her walk in, dressed up, ready to go out with her friends. Sky high heels and skin tight jeans – definitely dressed to impressed.

"You look nice." I ignored her question.

"I know." She did a twirl for me, her face lit up with her smile. "We're going out to this really cute pub that Mark found. Mark was the guy that Trina was crazy about and determined to get to notice her.

"That's great." I kind of wanted her to invite me, but at the same time, I just wanted to get my things sorted and mope around.

"I guarantee Mark will love me in these jeans. Look how great my arse looks in them." She turned to show me, getting a little too close for my liking. "And these boots make my legs look _amazing_!"

"They sure do. You better get going, don't want to give Mark a chance to notice someone else." Panic flashed across Trina's face.

"Shit, I better get going. Love ya." Blowing a kiss and flashing me a smile, she was gone, leaving me with the lingering smell of her favourite perfume. Since that night, we hardly saw each other and never hung out.

Finally, I settled on my favourite skinny jeans, loose fitting sweatshirt, and my converse. _That'll have to do._ I thought to myself as I ran my fingers through my hair and checked my make up. Physically, I was ready, I wasn't quite sure about mentally.

It wasn't far to walk to school, and the weather was pretty good, so I took my time. Trina had left fifteen minutes before me, meeting up with her friends and leaving me behind. The closer I got, the more nervous I got, and I wanted to put off arriving. I spotted a small coffee shop, but when I saw the huge queue, I decided to give it a miss and carried on to school. The building was huge. There was no way I would be able to find my way round the place, especially without my sister holding my hand.

Eventually, I managed to locate the office where I was given my timetable and because of the size of the school, a locker combination – something I'd only seen on American TV shows, and a map of the building.

With the map shoved in front of my face, I set off through the mazelike corridors to try and find my locker. Apparently, it was supposed to be right next to my first class, English.

"234. . . 234. . ." I muttered to myself as I dodged through the building crowd around me. I finally located my locker and began to input my combination for the lock before dumping my bag inside. I checked the time on my pearphone to see I had five minutes to get to my first class of the day.

Checking my map, I realised the room I needed was near enough right behind me. I approached it nervously, turned the handle to walk inside. Just as I pushed the door open, I swung my bag back onto my shoulder.

"Ooof." A distinctly male voice groaned from behind me. I spun round to be faced with a retro band tshirt covered in what looked like coffee.

"Oh shit! I'm so sorry. Here, let me wipe it off." I covered my hand with my cardigan sleeve and began rubbing the stain furiously. "Look, it's coming out."

"You might be making it worse actually." I heard his words, but kept rubbing it anyway, determined to get rid of the growing wet patch.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing, rubbing my boyfriend?" I flipped round to see I was being glared at by a goth girl. I looked from her to the guy who's chest I still rested my hand on and the first thought that made it's way through my mind was _How did she get him?_

 ** _Thoughts?_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**So, I didn't expect many people to read this. Like I said, it's been a while since I've written fanfic, and as it's AU, I wasn't sure how well it'd go down. Thankfully, a few people have decided they quite like it. So, thank you.**_

 _ **Here's chapter 2 - I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update, or even how long this fic'll be - I'm totally writing off the cuff as I always have!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious or the characters - but I do own a Chuck Bartowski ID badge for the Nerd Herd. I'm obviously easily pleased.**_

 _ **Chapter Two:**_

The rest of my first day was pretty uneventful. No more coffee mishaps or being found in inappropriate positions with someone else's boyfriend.

The lesson after English was a free, so I decided to try and find the student common room to try and get my bearings.

"Hi, you're new." A petite redhead announced as she sat next to me within seconds of my finding the common room.

"Er. . . yeah."

"I love new people." She spoke as she dived into her huge bag, emerging with a bright red lollipop which she shoved into her mouth. "I'm Cat."

"Hi. I'm Tori." I wasn't quite sure what to make of her.

"You're the girl who spilled coffee over Beck right?" Of course everyone would know about that. It may be a big school, but news obviously travelled fast.

"Was that his name?" I had no idea. After it happened, I sunk into a chair at the back of the room and ignored the goth girl's eyes, boring into me. If looks could kill, I would have been a pile of ash on the floor.

"Yeah, oh look. Here he is now." She jumped up out of her chair and ran over to the goth girl who had walked in, her arm wrapped around a tall guy who looked cool, even with the coffee stain on his white band tshirt. His black hair was shoulder length, which on anyone else would look ridiculous, but on him. . . it just worked. Couple that with his straight leg jeans, leather jacket, and beat up combat boots, he looked amazing.

The girl next to him couldn't be more different to him. She was my height, with jet black hair. Her blue eyes were exaggerated by the electric blue highlights running through her long hair. Her black shirt and leather trousers stood out amongst all the jeans surrounding us.

"Hey guys. This is Tori. Tori, this is Jade and beck." Cat bounced around, her frilly pink dress flowing around her knees.

"Hey." Beck's voice was deep, yet soft. Jade merely glanced at me, a look of pure venom on her face.

"Hi." I glanced at Beck's shirt. "I'm really sorry."

"It's cool." His smile lit up his face.

"No it's not. I bought you that shirt. I deserve some retribution."

"Jade. It's fine." Beck's voice was soothing. I watched them, interested in the dynamic of their relationship. "Besides, I'm the one who got his chest scalded."

"Oh my God!"

"Kidding." His grin was wide.

"Hey peeps." A black guy with thin dreads arrived, joining us.

"Hey 'Dre." Beck turned to face his friend. Jade, however kept her icy glare on me, causing me to shift uncomfortably.

"This is Tori. She's new." Cat informed him, bouncing around with a huge smile on her face.

"Hey." I waved from my seat, feeling a little overwhelmed having everyone standing, looking at me.

"Hey, nice to meet you." The four of them grabbed chairs and sat round me, chatting. I wasn't sure how to ingratiate myself into their conversations, so I sit back and watched. Particularly the olive skinned Beck, who was fiddling with his pear phone, not really paying attention to anyone else.

My first week passed by in a blur of classes and getting to know people. The group I got to know on my first day had become friends – apart from Jade – and we hung out every day during free periods and at lunch.

We'd been joined by two more guys, twins Robbie and Rex, who added an extra dynamic of sarcasm to the group. I'd fit myself in quite well, and apart from Jade, I got on with everyone really well. I'd become especially close to Andre and Cat. We had a lot in common thanks to our love of music.

I didn't see much of Jade and Beck, thanks to her crazy instant dislike to me. He seemed to go wherever she led, probably for a quiet life. I had noticed that he seemed to be the only one who could calm her down when she flew into one of her rages.

Similar to the one that was happening in the lunch hall right now.

"I see them watching you. All the time! Why can't they just leave you alone?" She yelled at him.

"Jade, babe. You can't stop people looking at me."

"I fucking well can." She glared around at the people watching them. From the looks on everyone's faces, this was a regular occurrence and some sort of spectator sport. "They _know_ you're mine, and have been for as long as we've been here."

"Jade, I'm not anybody's. I'm not a piece of meat." I watched his calm face as she glared at him, getting ready to scream again. How did he manage to not yell at her?

"Screw this. I'm going." She began to stalk away, but turned after taking three steps. "Are you coming?" She demanded.

"No. I have drama next." Without another word, he walked out of the hall and in the direction of the school theatre.

"Wow. He's gonna pay for that later." Andre observed.

"Only he could get away with doing it though." Robbie commented as he joined us, Rex not too far behind him. The rest of us murmured in agreement.

At the end of lunch, I made my way to the library for my free so I could finish up my History assignment before making my way to English for the last lesson of the day.

"We're starting a new book today." Mr Sikowitz, our eccentric teacher announced once we were all settled. "The wonderous Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet."

A groan worked its way around the room. Not many people enjoyed Shakespeare. I did, but I had to admit that Romeo and Juliet was one of my least favourite of his plays.

"What's the essay?" Jade spoke from the other side of the room where she and Beck were snuggled together, their fight obviously a thing of the past.

"No essay per se. This assignment is a paired project where you need to analyse the main scenes of the play that expose the pureness to Romeo and Juliet's love. After all, this is a story about what many consider love at first sight. I want to know if you think you are able to prove or disprove this phenomenon."

"Oh joy." Jade's voice was flat. I glanced over at her as she rolled her eyes at the idea, but looking at Beck, a small smile playing her lips. It was obvious she was going to partner up with him to study what is often seen as the most romantic play ever written.

"Hey, tori. Fancy pairing up?" Andre called from the front where he was sat with Robbie. Before I could answer, Sikowitz butted in.

"Now, I've known most of you for a few years now, and I know there are all these little cliques. So, putting a stop to that, _I_ will be pairing you up to make sure you not only mix with each other, but also to test out how well you can all play nice." He directed this at Jade who merely snarled at him.

He made us all stand up at the front of the room.

"When I call your name, you need to sit at a desk and wait for your partner, and to be given the scene you will be dissecting." One by one, half of the class sat back down as the rest of us waited to be told where we needed to go.

"Ah, Miss Vega. The new girl." Sikowitz stood in front of me, stroking his chin as he looked around the room. I knew I wasn't going to be paired with Andre as he was sitting next to a fuming Jade. I saw that Cat's desk was yet to be filled. For all her ditzy ways, the girl was shrewder than many gave her credit for. "Take this envelope and go and sit next to Mr Oliver."

"No fucking way!"

 _ **I'd love to hear your thoughts 3**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: So yeah, I've realised that this is going to be kinda a slow burn (All will become clear in Chapter 4 which I am writing at the moment). I don't do 'insta love' stories because they never quite ring true for me. It's a personal preference. I realise that I'm getting some details wrong a bit compared to the show, but this is MY twist on the characters.**_

 _ **The chapters are slowly getting longer, but don't expect epically long chapters, that's not my style!**_

 _ **Most of the story will be in Tori's POV, but I may drop the odd different POV now and then, I haven't quite decided. If you'd like to read from another character's POV, let me know and we'll see what we can do. I'd love to have your input as to whether this story works or not.**_

 _ **Also, I want to apologise if Ch2 didn't have any time breaks, the uploader removes them for some reason. Also, you may have guessed, but this fic isn't beta'd, so if you spot any horrendous mistakes, hit me up in a PM. I can take criticism. Honest!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious, but I do own a pretty damn cool Harry Potter mug!**_

 _ **Chapter Three:**_

Tori POV:

For four days, Jade stomped around school in a foul mood. She'd tried to talk Sikowitz into changing her and Beck's pairings so they could work together, but she wasn't successful. In some ways I wished she had been because I hated having to look over my shoulder all the time. Andre had told me he was gutted not to be paired with me, especially as Jade had bitten his head off every time he mentioned their getting together to work on their scene – the death scene.

"I better not get a shit grade because of her 'tude." He moaned as we sat on the patio outside my kitchen, drinking my speciality homemade lemonade, to celebrate my surviving my first week at school.

"I'm sure she'll calm down and you'll do great." The words sounded sincere, but I believed them less than Andre, who was fast becoming a good friend. Before he could respond, my pear phone pinged, indicating a video call from Sandy.

"Hey T, how's the big smoke?" Her smiling face filled the screen once I answered.

"Yeah, it's good. How's things at home?"

"Quiet without you. How's the new school?" She must have seen my blush, because she squealed. "How many pretty boys are fighting over you?"

"None Sand." I rolled my eyes as Andre chuckled softly beside me.

"That's a guy's voice. Oh my God! You have a guy with you." Sandy was off, speculating how quickly I moved.

"Sandy!" I yelled to get her attention, turning the phone so she could see both me and Andre. "This is 'Dre. He's a friend." Both of them waved at each other, but I could almost see Sandy's brain ticking over.

"Hey. I hope you're looking after my 'sistah from another mistah' buddy." I couldn't help but laugh.

"I don't _need_ looking after." The doorbell rang and Andre stood to go and answer it, leaving Sandy and me to chat.

"He's cute. Not your usual type though."

"He's a _friend._ We're just hanging out."

"Suuuure. So, how was the first week?" Looking behind me, I checked to make sure Andre was still inside before I filled her in.

"I'm seriously fearing for my life here. What if Jade attacks me?"

"So, this Beck. Is he pretty?"

"I've been called worse." I spun around in my chair to find Andre and Beck stood behind me, smiling.

"Oh my. . ." Sandy's tinny voice floated through the air.

"I'll call you later doll." I ended the call and turned to face the guys. "Er. . . hi. What are you doing here?"

"I thought we could make a start on this Romeo and Juliet assignment." I couldn't help but lean to the left, checking to see if Jade was stood behind him, fear making my throat dry. "She's at work tonight." Beck explained.

"Listen peeps, if you're working, I'm gonna bounce. I might pop down to the library and catch Jade for an hour."

"The library?" Now I was really confused.

"Yeah, she works there part time. Have fun kids." He grabbed his bag and walked out of the house, leaving Bek and me alone.

"Then there were two." He muttered.

"Would you like some lemonade?" I indicated the jug on the table in from of me, lost for anything else to say.

"Sure, but why is it pink?"

"So, Beck is very pretty." Sandy's voice was soft in my ear through my headphones.

"He is at that." I sat in my dark room, hoping my parents or Trina couldn't hear me. A glance at the clock let me know it was almost two in the morning, yet I was wide awake.

"So, tell me from the beginning what happened." With a groan of embarrassment, I told her about spilling coffee all over him, then being caught by Jade rubbing his chest – the chest that I suddenly remembered being as hard as a washboard. _Quit it Tori. He's not available._

"Then, she just flipped out when we got pared for this assignment. He's not fazed by it at all, but this chick hates me, and I'm almost positive she carries scissors in her bag."

"Look, it's just an assignment. Once it's over, you can go back to gazing at him from across the room."

"I don't gaze at him."

"I thought that Andre was different to what you usually go for, but this Beck is _way_ out there. He looks like a rockstar."

"He does." I thought back to watching him pace around the study Mum and Dad insisted Trina and I use for homework. His black jeans hugging his backside in the right places, and the white tank top he wore under his open shirt was the right side of snug. Coupled with his wristbands and other accessories, I found it harder and harder to take my eyes off him. He exuded a calm confidence that was quickly becoming quite addictive.

"Earth to Tori." Sandy's voice drew me out of my memories. "You like him." There was a knowing tone to her voice.

"I've known the guy a week."

"Yeah, and? Look at Romeo and Juliet. They're entire relationship takes place in what? Four days?"

"You are not seriously comparing me and Beck to Romeo and Juliet are you?"

"No, just making a comparison. You forget how well I know you Vega. You get this look in your eye when you like someone, and you had it when we vid chatted earlier. You like him." I sighed, unable to deny what she was saying.

"Even if I do, nothing will happen. As much as Jade scares me, she's gorgeous, and . . . yeah. Not gonna happen."

"Oh Tor. I wish you were still here."

"So do I Sandy. You'd be checking all the guys and would help me find someone who's single." An idea popped into my head. "Hey, why don't you come to visit for the weekend next week?" The squeal she let out was ear splitting and made me grin.

"I'd love that. I'll skip the afternoon at school and grab a train to make sure we have plenty of time together."

"Sounds good. See you next Friday." With a final squeal, we ended our call and I settled down into bed, too wired to sleep.

 _B: Hey, can you come over to me today to work on the assignment?_

 _T: Sure. Text me your address and I'll head over in about an hour._

My bleeping phone had woken me up and my eyes felt like someone had thrown sand in them. Groggily, I made my way into the bathroom to shower and get ready for a day of studying with Beck.

I knocked on the heavy, brown door, the sound echoing behind it. As I waited, I sipped my coffee.

"Can I help you?" A woman who, by the look of her, could only be Bek's mum opened the door.

"Er. . . I'm looking for Beck." I smiled nervously. Thankfully, she returned it with one of her own.

"Oh. Head round the side of the house. You'll see a blue door. That's Beck's place." Without another word, she closed the door in my face. Confused, I followed her instructions.

I knocked on the blue door and waited. . . and waited. . . and waited. I knocked again, but when there was no answer, I turned to stalk away. I'd managed three steps before I heard my name being called out.

"Tori!" I looked behind me to see a wet beck framed in the doorway, only wearing a towel.

 _ **I'd love to hear your thoughts...**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Ok, a slightly longer chapter. I have to admit, I'm feeling a bit down because I don't know if people like my story or not (I hope you do), but I want to write as much as I can while I have the time.**_

 _ **This chapter... I don't know what to think about it, but it felt right writing it. I hope it flows well.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious, Lego House, or First date, but I do own some awesome band swag!**_

 _ **Chapter Four:**_

I stood and just stared at him, watching the smoke rise from the cigarette that dangled between his long fingers.

"Are you coming in?" He asked, breaking me out of my shock. I looked up, my eyes trailing up his bare chest, the smattering of dark hair causing my breath to hitch.

"Sure." I walked towards him. "You are going to get dressed, right?" His chuckle was deep.

"Well, I was considering it, but now I'm not so sure."

"Beck, that's not even funny." I followed him inside, shocked to find an annex flat that was open and light, nothing like I'd expected. "Wow. This place is amazing."

"I try." Beck excused himself to disappear into what I assumed was his bedroom. Moments later, he returned, fully dressed in baggy jeans and a snug white tank top. "Ready to get some work done?" he asked, leading me to the table set up in the corner of the living room area.

* * *

"So, you think Romeo and Juliet weren't in love? Why?" He asked me a couple of hours later.

"I think they're infatuated with each other. Their families are caught up in this crazy feud and all of a sudden, these two kids meet and are in love? I don't buy it." I really didn't and never had.

"But surely that's the joy of the story. Meeting up in secret – I mean, most of the scenes they have together are at night, and just giving in to their feelings. Surely that means something?" I'd never pegged him for a romantic.

"The entrie story takes place over four days. How can that be anything more than infatuation? They don't _know_ each other well enough to be in love. Plus, I guess it's the thrill of wanting something you can't have." Silence descended over us at my words for a few minutes. Beck cleared his throat before speaking.

"You sound like you're speaking from experience there."

"Not at all. It's just common sense. How can you say you love someone if you don't actually know things about them?"

"Have you ever been in love?"

"What does that have anything to do with this?"

"I'm just wondering where that cynicism has come from. You're what, seventeen? No girl that age should look at love in that way, unless they'd been seriously burned." I watched him as he lit another cigarette, the way his plump lips wrapped around the end and his long, slender fingers holding it. I'd never been a fan of smoking, but he made it look . . . right.

"Just because I have a certain outlook on life makes me cynical?" I was interested to hear his reasoning.

"I just think that someone who doesn't believe in love at first sight is somewhat jaded. Also, I think you're avoiding my question." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, looking me directly in the eyes. For a moment, I forgot how to breathe, lost in the depths of his brown eyes. "Who hurt you?" He asked quietly.

"I better get going." I chickened out of talking to him. As quickly as I could, I gathered my stuff and stood up. "I'll cath you at school on Mondat." Before he could respond, I had flown out of his little annex flat and was heading towards the bus stop.

* * *

I stood at my locker on Friday checking my texts from Sandy. She'd let me know that her train would be arriving half an hour after I finished school. I couldn't wait to see her. It may only have been a month or so since I'd left, but I'd missed her so much.

"Hey T." I turned to smile at Andre.

"Hey."

"Whatcha doin' after school?" I explained about Sandy's visit. "That's perfect. My grandma's away for the weekend visiting my aunt, and I thought I'd have a party tonight. Why don't you bring her along?"My first party invite since I'd been in London.

"Sounds great."

"Cool. Be at mine for about seven. You can help me set up the karaoke." With a grin, he hooked his arm through mine and led us to our last lesson of the day, English. Where we were going to be presenting our Romeo and Juliet assignments.

"Right, thank you Jade and Andre for that 'illuminating' speech about the death scene. I'd never looked at it in that way before." Sikowitz looked a little grey in the face after having to listen to Jade's five minute tirade about how much of an idiot oth characters were for killing themselves. I kind of agreed with her, but not quite to the lengths she'd gone to, and I'd never admit it to her. Andre hadn't said much – not really having been given the chance to. "Our final pair, Tori and Beck. The stage, as it were, is yours."

I stood and followed the tall, tan boy I hadn't spoken to since the afternoon spent in his flat. I'd avoided him as much as I could, not being able to get the memory of him half naked out of my mind. Coupled with his asking questions about my love life – or lack thereof, I had been too embarrassed to go anywhere near him. We'd managed to finish our assignment via email and text message.

"Right. Our scene was the balcony scene, which we wanted to run through for you before we gave our thoughts." This had been Beck's idea. He'd insisted it was going to give us that 'extra edge' and would play to Sikowitz's love of the theatre. I'd never acted before, but Beck said it wasn't a problem. Yeah, for him maybe, the drama guy.

Shaking, I stood on a table to give the impression that I was indeed on a balcony and waited for Beck to begin speaking. Romeo's words washed through me in Beck's voice, and by the end of the scene, I'd almost changed my mind about how I viewed insta love. It wasn't until Jade cleared her throat, glaring at me that I remembered where I was.

We finished our presentation, and sat down while the rest of the class applaused.

"You say you've never acted?" Beck spoke quietly in my ear.

"Nope, never."

"Could have fooled me. You were great." With a small smile, he left me to go and sit with Jade, who instantly rounded on him and began whispering furiously to him. I took my seat next to Andre and tried to ignore the death stares the goth girl was giving me.

"Excellent work everyone. I will be emailing the grades out over the weekend. Class dismissed." Sikowitz turned his back to us to begin gathering his notes. I stood, grabbed my bag and was about to hightail it out so I could go and meet Sandy. "Vega, Oliver. A word please."

"I'll wait outside." Jade snarled at Beck as we made our way over to our teacher.

"Can either of you sing?" He asked us. I shared a confused look with Beck, the first time I had been able to look at him without getting embarrassed or dangerous feelings invading me.

"Uh. . . why?" He asked.

"Well, as you know, every year, the school puts on a big production. This year, I'm in charge and I want to direct a musical. After watching the chemistry your two have in just one scene, I want you both to audition for the lead roles." I was gobsmacked.

"I'll have to pass. I'm not an actor." I stumbled over my words. "Choose someone from Beck's class."

"You could have fooled me Vega. That performance as Juliet was sublime."

"That's what I said." I shot Beck a look, trying to tell him to shut up with just my eyes. "What play are you thinking of?" He ignored me and turned his attention back to Sikowitz.

"There's a show that just finished it's runn off Broadway that I think would be perfect. It's called First Date."

"Oh, I love that show." I squealed. Both Beck and Sikowitz gave me a strange look. "My parents took Trina and I to New York before we moved, and that was one of the shows we managed to see. I bought a copy of the script and the soundtrack." I failed to add that both were prized possessions, signed by Zac Levi.

"Perfect. You'll barely need to rehearse. Auditions are tomorrow at two." Without another word, he flounced out of the room.

"I'm not doing it." I crossed my arms.

"Why not?" Beck leaned back against one of the desks, his own arms crossed.

"Because I'm not an actor." Beck rolled his eyes.

"Like both me and Sikowitz said, 'you could have fooled me'." I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could manage to say anything, he had pressed a finger against my lips. "At least do the audition."

Without another word, he grabbed his bag and left the room where Jade was waiting. I could hear their raised voices as I followed them out and made my way off school grounds to head out and meet Sandy.

* * *

"A party? I'm down babe, you know me." Sandy looked around my room, her eyes wide. "This place is amazing T. You struck lucky."

"It's even better that you're here. So, you're ok with going to 'Dre's party tonight?" I wanted to show off my best friends, but I also wanted to keep her to myself for a bit. She hadn't mentioned Sean for a few days, and I wanted to know why.

"Yeah. Let's start getting ready. You need to dress to impress." She started rifling through my wardrobe, the way she always did.

"Oh? Who am I impressing?" I sat back on my bed as Sandy pulled out three dresses and began examining them.

"Beck of course."

"Beck? Er. . . Sand, you know he's not available for me to impress, right?"

"Bullshit! I've seen the pics you're tagged in on The Slap. I have eyes you know." What the hell was she going on about? "That boy looks at you in only a way I could ever dream of."

"You're talking nonsense. Wait til you see him with Jade tonight. Those two are forever, I promise you." I grabbed her arm. "What's up? I thought you and Sean were all blissful."

"We were, until he began to be blissful with someone else whenever I was working a shift at Dad's shop." She handed me a deep red minidress with matching shoes. "This one. It'll look amazing." Without another word, she shoed me into the bathroom to get ready. I made a mental ote to speak to her in the morning about Sean. I'd take her for food and make her tell me everything.

* * *

Andre opened the door to his Grandma's house with a huge smile on his face. Music played softly in the background.

"Hey ladies. Looking fine this evening." He looked us both up and down, in a non creepy way. Sandy looked amazing in a borrowed black playsuit, her long blonde hair caught up in an artfully messy topknot.

"Hey 'Dre. You remember Sandy?" He grinned and nodded. "So, karaoke?" We followed him into the living room where Robbie and Rex were attempting to hook up speakers to a shiny karaoke machine.

"Yeah. Andre always brings this bad boy out for his parties. Dude's got skills." Rex told us, his eyes never leaving Sandy.

"Tori's an amazing singer." She told my new friends, making me want to curl up into a ball.

"Oh really?" Robbi and Andre spoke at the same time.

"No, no really. I haven't done it in a while."

"Well, you'll grace us tonight, no arguing. Everyone has a go. It's a rule." Andre wrapped an arm around me. I groaned and hid my face. I wanted to kill Sandy and her big mouth.

"I need a drink." I made my way into the kitchen where an endless sea of beer bottles covered the work surfaces.

"Hey Tori." Beck's voice washed over and seemed to calm my frazzled nerves. I turned to look at him, and wished I hadn't. Dressed all in black, he looked amazing. His olive skin seemed to glow.

"Like what you see Vega?" Jade snarled as she joined us. Her eyes trailed up and down my body as if she were trying to think of something horrible to say. In the end, she said nothing as she grabbed two bottles of beer and dragged Beck out of the kitchen.

"So, that's Jade huh?" Sandy appeared next to me.

"Yep." I took a swig of beer, feeling ridiculous in my dress.

"Not a patch on you my lovely."

"You have to say that, you're my best friend."

"I'd say it even if I wasn't. Now, are we ready to party?"

* * *

"Yeah! That was Jade singing Evanescence's 'My Immortal'. Great job as ever." Andre's voice surrounded me as he soke through the huge PA system he and the guys had hooked up. "No, it's time for a first timer. Get you're arse up here Vega." I felt sick as Cat, Robbie, and Sandy pushed me over to him.

"Do I have to do this?" I asked him quietly.

"'Fraid so chica. What you gonna sing?" I took the list of songs out of his hand and looked through it. I spotted a song that was one I knew by heart.

"Will you duet with me?" I asked him, trying to stop myself from shaking.

"Sure." I pointed to the song I wanted then waited for his to cue it up. Finally he stood next to me and began to speak into the mic.

"The lovely Miss Vega has requested a duet for her first performance. So, we're going to sing 'First Impressions' from 'First Date'". The music started playing as I looked out at the crowd watching us. Sandy was snuggling into Rex while Beck watched me with a strange look on his face.

 _Andre:  
She's a little artsy  
She's hip and cool  
She's just like all those girls  
That ignored me all through school  
She's kinda indie and pretty hot  
She's a lot like all the things that I am not_

I was impressed with Andre's voice as he sang. I knew he loved music, but I'd never realised he was this talented.  
 _  
Me:  
He's a bit annoying  
And overdressed  
He's got the kind of vibe that says "Look at me,  
I'm stressed!"  
Probably likes to cuddle  
Long walks in the park  
And if he likes sex bet it's only in the dark_

It had been so long since I'd sung in front of anyone, I tried not to look at anyone, but I couldn't help watching Beck watching me. Jade noticed and with a smirk on her face, pulled him into a deep kiss. Sandy followed my line of sight, a frown creasing her forehead.

"Wow! You're amazing!" Cat bounded up to me, trailed by Robbie, after the song had finished.

"Thanks Cat. I'm a little rusty."

"Well, you couldn't tell."She wrapped her arms around me before dragging Robbie off to dance.

"Damn girl." Sandy nudged me with her shoulder.

"What?" We walked outside to get some fresh air.

"You certainly know how to make a guy want you."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sandy pulled out her pear phone and brought up the Slap.

"Watch this." She pressed play on a video of me and Andre singing.

"Someone uploaded a video, already?" She shushed me as it played. Whoever had videoed it had obviously noticed me looking at Beck and panned over to him. There was a soft smile on his face.

"Well?" She asked when the video finished.

"That means nothing." I told her about the auditions I was blowing off the next day.

"Oh hell no! I am dragging you to that audition, you _will_ blow everyone away and get that part." Sandy crossed her arms and glared at me, swaying slightly from the beer she'd drunk.

"I don't wan-"

"You're going. Oh look, Beck's singing." She dragged me back inside where Beck sat on a stool, singing Ed Sheeran's 'Lego House. I had to admit, he was good. "You two are going to be amazing in this play." Sandy whispered in my ear.

"And he'll still have a girlfriend."

"Maybe." Sandy glanced over into the corner of the room where Jade was stood chatting to a guy from our English class.

"What does that supposed to mean."

"Why would she be so jealous of you if she and Beck were so perfect for each other?" I shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't trust her. I think she's trying to keep you away from him because she's got something to prove by being with him."

"You're being ridiculous."

"We'll see."

 _ **Thoughts? I'd love to hear them. Don't worry, this isn't going to be a ridiculously angsty fic if I can help it. And, don't forget, we're only 4 chapters in, Beck and Tori won't be getting together within minutes (they WILL get together eventually though) because I don't like the idea of rebound relationships.**_

 _ **And, as you may have noticed, this fic is rated M, and for reasons that will become clear in later chapters.**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: I hope you like this chapter. It needed to be written to set up Tori and Beck's friendship. Quite a lot happens, without actually happening (does that make sense) and after this, we'll get moving pretty quickly timewise. Don't worry, there will be plenty of Bori for you all. I'm actually really looking forward to writing those scenes :D**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious or 'Everything has Changed', but I do own an awesome writing playlist on my iPhone!**_

 _ **Chapter Five:**_

 **Aaron Beck Oliver**

 **Casey Tori Vega**

 **Woman #1 Cat Valentine**

 **(Grandma Ida/Lauren/Aaron's Mother)**

 **Man #1 Robbie Shapiro**

 **(Gabe/Edgy British Guy)**

 **Woman #2 Jade West**

 **(Allison)**

 **Man #2 Rex Shapiro**

 **(Reggie/Edgy Rocker Guy)**

 **Man #3 Andre Harris**

 **(Waiter/Therapist)**

The list for the play was posted on Sikowitz's door on the Wednesday after the auditions. I felt proud and sick in equal measures at the thought of being in the play, alongside Beck no less.

"You are _not_ playing opposite her!" I heard Jade before I saw her. I rounded the corner and saw her and Beck. She was stood in front of him, red faced, and waving her hands around.

"Jade, babe. Calm down. It's only a fucking play." I hated myself for watching and listening, but like trashy reality tv, I couldn't look away. Neither could Andre who has come to a stop next to me.

"What's going on?" He whispered.

"I think she's pissed about me getting the lead opposite Beck." He rolled his eyes.

"Don't tell me to calm down. It might only be a play, but I've seen the way she looks at you."

"What are you talking about?" Beck was genuinely confused.

"Like she wants to lick you."

"Not this again. Jade. There. Is. Nothing. Going. On! Tori's a friend. We had to work together on an assignment, nothing more."

"Yeah, and look it's led to starring in a play together."

"You're insane." A hush came over the crowd that had gathered to watch.

"What did you say?" Jade's voice was dangerously low.

"You heard me. You don't believe a word I'm saying. I've told you time and time again that I love you, and only you, but still you scream like a banshee every time I even go near another girl. It's obviously not them you have a problem with, it's me."

"You're talking rubbish."

"You don't trust me do you? Never have." Beck's face was hard. For the first time since I'd arrived, he wasn't looking at her with a soft smile on his face.

"Of course I do."

"Then why do you react like this?" He ran a hand through his long hair, a sigh escaping his mouth.

"It's them I don't trust."

"I don't believe you. I can't cope with this anymore." Without another word, he walked away from her.

"Beck! Beck, come here." She called out after him.

"No Jade. I'll speak to you later when you're more rational."

* * *

"I have _never_ seen Beck walk away from Jade like that." Andre told me as we sat in my living room, drinking lemonade after school.

"Yeah, it was weird." Cat piped up from the kitchen. "Jade never lets him walk away like that. I think I'm going to go and see her." And just like that, Cat was gone.

"She's right. Jade's the one who storms off, making Beck follow her." Robbie commented.

"I guess Beck finally had enough." Rex didn't look up from his pear phone.

"Well, tomorrow they'll be as loved up as ever. Are we watching this DVD or what?" Andre settled back as I pressed play.

We got halfway through the film when Cat came running in, crying.

"Hey Little Red. What's up?" Andre paused the film.

"It's Jade." I sat bolt upright, scared at what she was going to say next.

"What about her?" Andre spoke softly, moving to wrap his arms around the crying girl.

"Well, I went to see if she was okay after her and Beck's fight, but when I got there, Beck was already there, yelling at her. He'd gone to apologise, but when he got to her house, she was. . . She was with another guy."

"What!?" Rex spit his lemonade out.

"Yeah. She was with that cute guy from her Spanish class, Sinjin." I couldn't place the name.

"Sinjin? Cute?" Andre started laughing.

"Yeah, puberty has worked wonders on him." Cat informed us. "Apparently, he and Jade were. . . well, you know." I was astounded.

"What she slept with him?" Robbie's voice was full of shock. "To make Beck jealous? I bet it worked too – Cat's right. He's really buffed up ad got rid of the glasses. All the girls have been noticing him this term."

"It wasn't just to make Beck jealous though." Cat continued with her story. "They've been seeing each other. For about six months."

"What?!" There goes Rex's drink again. We all sat, staring at Cat.

"Yeah. He got a job at the library where Jade works and they got really close." She's been going crazy at Beck in the hopes that he'd dump her, but he never did, until today."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Ever since I'd been at school, I'd been told that Beck and Jade were the power couple of the school. Destined to be together forever.

"I gotta go. I need to see that Beck's okay." Andre grabbed his stuff and left before any of us could say anything.

* * *

Beck was late to our first rehearsal. When he did finally turn up, he looked a mess. His clothes looked like he'd slept in them, the entire week until he and Jade had split up, and his eyes were red and puffy.

"Hey." I sat next to him as we tuned out Sikowitz's speech about timekeeping.

"Hey." He'd never been one for many words, but he'd become monosyllabic lately.

"Are you okay?" _Stupid question Tori._ I mentally slapped myself.

"Yeah, sure."

"Mr Oliver. You're up." Sikowitz called Beck onto the stage where he was to rehearse his character, Aaron, singing to his ex Allison – played by Jade. Suddenly, a deathly quiet came over every person in the room, as they watched. It was a song about Aaron regretting ever being with Allison, and as Beck began to sing, all his anger came out, aimed at Jade who seemed unfazed.

 _You're a bitch with no heart  
You're a liar, you are Satan, and I  
Hate the way you snore at night _

I could see the hurt in Beck's eyes as it became clear that he was fighting back tears.

 _You're bossy and judgmental, kind of tactless, boring, too_ _  
_ _And I really can't believe I ever fell in love with you_

The moment the song was finished, he stormed off stage as Sinjin, who really was cute, rushed up to comfort Jade.

"Take five everyone." Sikowitz called out. I grabbed my bag and rushed after Beck to check he was okay. I found him outside, leaning against a wall smoking a cigarette.

"That was. . . intense." I sunk to the floor next to his feet.

"You could say that." He flicked his cigarette butt away from him and joined me on the floor.

"Beck, I'm so sorry about everything."

"Why? It's not your fault, it's hers." He looked into my eyes. The hardness had gone from them, but there was still a deep sadness present. "She's the one who cheated." I had the impression this was the first time he'd admitted it out loud.

"Well, she's crazy." _Where did that come from?_

"So everyone keeps telling me, but I have to admit that I haven't seen her look so happy than I have the past week." Thinking back, he was right. I'd watched Jade and Sinjin around the school, and there was a new lightness to her demeanour.

"Yeah, but it's making you miserable." I watched him light another cigarette.

"It's getting easier. She's just been a part of my life for the last two years, it's hard to think that she's not there anymore." He offered me a cigarette. I shook my head no, I hadn't smoked since I'd moved.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot. I have nothing to hide."

"How did you put up with her for so long? I don't mean to be horrible or anything, but you two were so different."

"Everything you see with Jade is a front. She's not as hard faced as she makes out, or as confident. She hates anyone seeing her vulnerable side. I was able to deal with the blow ups in public, because in private, she was totally different. _That's_ the Jade I fell in love with." His voice thickened up as he struggled to hold in tears.

"Hold onto those good memories. It may not seem it now, but it does get easier to move on, I promise." I pulled him in for a hug.

"Does it?" I nodded.

"Sounds like you're speaking from experience." He looked at me and I was reminded of the time we studied in his flat.

"Yeah, I kinda am." I thought back to my last boyfriend, and how he had hurt me.

"I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for? It wasn't your fault." I echoed his previous words, making him smile. "We better get back in. It's only week one of twelve of rehearsals. We don't want Sikowitz to sack us for being no shows." I stood up and held my hand out to him. When he took it, I pulled him to his feet.

"Thanks Tori."

"What for?"

"Just being there and not expecting too much of me." I wrapped my arms around him again. "I'm going to make you a deal. Inside the theatre, it's just you and me – Aaron and Casey. There's no Jade or Sinjin, or anything."

"Thanks Beck. I'll make you a deal too. If we make it through this show in one piece, I'll buy you dinner. Anywhere you want."

"You're on."

* * *

"So, how did the first week of rehearsals go?" Sandy asked me over video chat.

"Really good. We've done at least one run through of each scene, including the songs." I carried on running the straighteners through my hair, getting ready for another party at Andre's.

"That's great. And how's Beck?" I'd filled her in about the break up when we'd finally managed to chat for longer than five minutes.

"He's doing better. He's picking me up tonight actually." He'd passed his test three days ago, and he and his dad had been out looking for a decent second hand car for him to drive around in.

"Oh, is he really?"

"Sandy." I warned. "We're just friends." The more I said it, the more it was beginning to depress me, but I couldn't let on to anyone.

"Yeah, until he realises that he's madly in love with you after you've helped him through his breakup." I rolled my eyes at her. "It could happen."

She was a lot happier today. I'd finally got the full story about how Sean had been using her for sex, not telling her about his devout Christian girlfriend that he'd been seeing for the previous eighteen months, who wouldn't sleep with him. I hated him for hurting her, but she'd surprised me when she'd told me that she and Rex had been in constant contact since she'd visited.

"Whatever." I heard the doorbell. "Oh, I gotta go. Talk later." I blew her a kiss, ended the call, and grabbed my bag and phone.

I opened the door to find Beck leaning on the frame, waiting with a smile.

"Hey you." He held out his arm for me to take hold of and he escorted me to his 'new' car. It was a total rustbucket of an old mini, but somehow, it completely suited him.

"It's not much. . ." He looked awkward as he opened the door for me to slide into the passenger seat.

"Hey, it's great. It's so you."

"So you're saying I'm a beaten up old rusty car?" He look offended, but before I could protest, he started laughing.

"You're mean."

"And you're gullible." I punched him on the arm as he started the engine and drove off, a thick black cloud of smoke billowing out of the back of the car.

"Is this car even road legal?" I asked, glancing behind us.

"Of course it is. Me and my dad checked her over ourselves." That really didn't put me at ease.

Finally, we arrived at Andre's. I could tell Beck was nervous in case Jade and Sinjin were there. He was fin at school, especially in the theatre, but this party was a bit out of his comfort zone.

"Look, whenever you feel like you need to leave, let me know." I squeezed his hand gently as we walked inside.

"Thanks T. You're the best, but I'm sure I'll be fine." He turned to look at me. "Sing with me tonight?"

"Er. . . sure."

"Great. I have a song in mind." He winked at me as we walked through the crowd.

* * *

"Hey Tori." Cat came up to me in the kitchen after Beck and I had sung. Another ed Sheeran song, this time his duet with Taylor Swift.

"Hey Kitty Cat." She flung her arms around me. "What's that for?"

"I just wanted to tell you I'm happy for you."

"About what?" I was completely confused, but that was nothing new with Cat.

"You and Beck make the cutest couple ever."

"We're not a couple Cat. We're friends." Beck joined us.

"Who's friends?" He asked.

"We are." I indicated the two of us with my hand.

"Of course we are." He agreed, smiling. Cat giggled.

"See you later." She disappeared into the mass of people dancing.

"What was that all about?" He asked me, confusion making his forehead crease.

"Just Cat getting her wires crossed again." I took hold of his hand. "Dance with me?"

"You know I don't dance."

"You do just fine in rehearsals." I teased as I led him onto the makeshift dance floor.

"That's because it's choreographed."

"Shut up and dance with me." With a grin, I placed my hands on his hips to get him moving. He was really getting into it, until suddenly he froze. I looked up at him and saw he was staring across the room. Following his gaze, I saw Jade and Sinjin dancing closely.

"Let's go." I grabbed his hand and pulled him out to his car.

"I've had a drink, I can't drive." I took hold of his hand.

"Let's walk. Your place or mine?"

 _ **Thoughts? I'd love to hear em :)**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Is there anyone reading this story? I don't like to beg for reviews, but if no one is reading, there's no point in me posting updates.**_

 _ **This chapter was fun to write, even though it's shorter than the last two.. For reasons that will become clear when you read it. I know I'm ignoring the other characters quite a bit, but let's be honest, this is a Bori story. That's what you want, right?**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious or First Date, but I do own a rad Doctor Who tattoo...**_

 _ **Chapter Six:**_

Weeks turned into months as Beck and I rehearsed the show. It got to the point where I was singing in my sleep. Trina had to wake me up on a number of occasions to tell me to shut up.

We were a week away from opening night, and I was starting to get panicky.

"It's a stage kiss T, nothing to worry about." Beck and Andre assured me as we ate our lunch.

"But. . . what if I mess up?"

"Look, we've done that scene a million times. It's going to be perfect." Beck held my hand and squeezed it gently. Over the last few weeks, he'd been a lot more touchy with me. Especially in public.

We'd spent more time together than I spent with my family. We were able to talk about anything and everything, and nothing. He was finally over Jade, and was even able to be in the same room as her and Sinjin that wasn't the theatre. I was so proud of him.

Andre hung with us a lot too, playing the keyboard or strumming Beck's guitar. He'd started talking about applying to music courses at uni next year. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life after school. I just wanted to get through the last year and a half in one piece.

Beck was only considering acting, but Andre and I tried to talk him into considering music as well. He could sing and play guitar amazingly, but it wasn't his first love.

"Tori. You and Beck are going to _kill_ this show. You have nothing to worry about."

* * *

"Oh my God T. You were amazing!" Sandy flung her arms around me, smothering me with the bunch of flowers she had in her hand. She'd travelled down especially for opening night.

"Thanks Doll." I was out of breath, high on the adrenaline that was coursing through my body.

"And Beck, you were just perfect. That kiss at the end was smoking hot." She was giddy, and making me laugh.

"Thanks Sandy. Give me ten minutes to get changed out of this outfit and we'll head to the after party." She hugged me again, squealing in my ear.

Beck led me backstage to our curtained dressing rooms.

"You were great T." He wrapped me in his arms and hugged me tightly.

"So were you." We separated to get changed out of our costumes. The joy of a show being set in one place was having no costume changes, but the black mini dress I wore was starting to feel a bit constricting.

In the space of fifteen minutes, I was back in my skinny jeans, a bright red top and matching red shoes that made me the same height as Beck.

"You look fantastic." He appraised me, looking me up and down. I did the same to him, his jeans snug against his thighs and the band tshirt he'd worn the day we'd met looked good on him. His boots were scuffed, but looked fantastic.

"Thanks, you don't look bad yourself."

"It's weird not having to look down at you while we walk." I nudged him with my shoulder, making him laugh.

"Awww. Look at you two. The perfect couple." Sandy threw her arms around the pair of us as we walked through the school into the hall where the party was already in full swing.

"Oh stop Sandy. You know we're just friends." I whispered furiously into her ear as Beck went to get us all a drink.

"If you think you're just friends, you're insane. The chemistry between you two up on that stage was electric."

"It's called acting. Our characters were on a date, we had to have chemistry." I caught sight of Beck heading back over to us. "Now shut up."

"Ladies." He handed us both cups of punch.

"Thanks. Oh, there's Rex. I'll see you guys later." With a twirl, Sandy was gone.

"That's a romance I never expected." Beck commented, resting his arm on my shoulders as we watched the odd couple reconnect. At the lips.

"I think it's cute." I took his drink out of his hand, placed both cups on a table and dragged him out onto the dance floor. "Dance with me."

Smiling, he wrapped his arms round my waist and drew me close to him.

"You know I hate dancing."

"Yeah, but I love it, and I don't have any other partner options." I snaked my hands up around his neck. "So, you'll have to do."

"Oh, that wounds me." He pressed his lips gently against my forehead.

"You'll get over it. Oh, I heard something interesting today."

"What's that?"

"That Miranda chick the year below us, she's going to ask you out tonight." His eyes widened with shock, the brown depths making me forget how to breathe for a split second.

"Why would she do that?"

"I overheard her talking to her friend in the bathroom before the show. She's noticed that you're over Jade, and feels it's time you, how did she phrase it? 'Got back on the horse, or under another woman'."

"I don't believe you." He wasn't smiling, but his eyes were twinkling.

"You better, here she comes."

"Mind if I cut in Tori?"

"Go ahead, I need a bathroom break anyway. Have fun kids." I winked at Beck and made my way through the crowds.

"What are you doing?" Jade appeared out of nowhere and grabbed my arm. I waited for a tirade of abuse.

"What are you talking about?" I watched as Sinjin left us alone to talk. I almost called him back to protect me, but I realised that she wasn't angry.

"Beck. Why have you left him with that limpet?" I looked back and sniggered. Beck was struggling to keep Miranda at arm's length.

"Because he needs to move on with his life now he's over you." I felt guilty when her face dropped slightly.

"I'm glad. I hated hurting him, but that's besides the point. Why aren't _you_ with him?"

"Why would I be with him. We're friends, but I don't want to cramp his style. I'm no wingman."

"Jesus Christ Vega. I knew you were dim, but this is bordering on Cat logic." She pulled me out of the room and into the quiet, cool corridor so we didn't have to yell at each other.

"Jade, I'm tired from the show. Can you just say what's on your mind so I can get back to the party for a bit before I go home to crash."

"Ever since the coffee incident, I've known you liked Beck. Looking back now, I appreciate the way you hid it from everyone, but I could still see it. Then, getting cast opposite him in the show, I watched from the sidelines. You got close, and you didn't hide things as well as you thought you did." I swallowed, nervously.

"I don't think . . . I mean, I don't-"

"Shut up and let me talk. I hurt Beck, badly and will never forgive myself for that. Let me say this to maybe attempt to make up for it all."

"Say what?"

"While you've been working to hide any feelings you may have for beck, you've been blind to what's in front of you."

"Urgh! Jade. Stop talking in damn riddles."

"Beckett Oliver is fucking crazy about you." I looked at her as if she were insane.

"Whatever. Jade, we're friends, good friends, but that's it. I understand you feel guilty, but you're imagining things. I gotta go. See you tomorrow night for the show." I walked away, laughing.

* * *

I never told Beck about mine and Jade's conversation. He'd managed to escape Miranda's clutches, using me as an excuse.

Now, we were performing the final scene of the last performance of our 'First Date' run. I walked alongside Beck on the stage as Aaron walked Casey home. I'd loved working with him, getting to know him. I didn't want the show to end, worried things would change between us. I'd long decided that if I couldn't have Beck in the way I wanted, then I'd have him as my friend, best friend even.

The kiss our characters shared was fast approaching, and although I'd long gotten over my nerves about it, I still got butterflies every time Beck's lips touched mine. We spoke our lines, filling them with emotion. Then it happened.

Beck kissed me. It wasn't Aaron kissing Casey, it was Beck kissing me. Full on. Then the curtain dropped to the loudest applause I'd heard all week.

"I'm sorry." Without another word, Beck left the stage.

 _ **I'd love to hear your thoughts...**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, the author note at the beginning of my last chapter wasn't me trying to get reviews out of people. I was truly interested in finding out if people were reading/enjoying the story.**_

 _ **I had planned on writing more earlier this week, but I've been exhausted. This chapter's a bit of filler, but we start to see stuff developing between Beck and Tori. I hope you all enjoy it.**_

 _ **I'm not sure when i'll next be able to update, but hopefully it'll be sooner rather than later.**_

 _ **Disclaimer - I don't own Victorious, but I do own some fabulous t-shirts!**_

 _ **BTW: Ishida-Lover0791 - I couldn't reply to your review (thank you) - I will continue updating.**_

 _ **Chapter Seven:**_

Beck avoided me for three days after the last show. I called, texted, and even knocked on his door, but nothing worked. He was completely blanking me, and I hated it.

I'd had enough and stormed back round to his little flat and hammered on the door.

"Beck! I know you're in there. Open this door before I kick it open!" I yelled. Moments later, the door was opened to reveal his tall form.

"Hey Tori." Without saying anything further, he walked back into the flat, leaving the door open for me to follow.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" I blurted out the moment I'd caught up with him in the living room.

"I haven't been avoiding you. I had to do some work for my dad down at his garage. I dropped my phone in a pint pot and haven't had a chance to hit up the Pear store to get a new one. Why would you think I was avoiding you?" I looked him in the eye and saw he was telling the truth.

"Oh. . . I just thought. . . I actually don't know what I thought." I sank onto the sofa behind me, embarrassed. I'd obviously read too much into the kiss and felt like a total fool.

"It's all cool. Hey, do you fancy helping me pick a new phone?"

"Sure, why not?"

* * *

My impromptu trip to the Pear Store with Beck ended up with us walking for miles around central London, window shopping, until we found ourself ordering food in a new karaoke place.

"Happy with your choice of phone?" I indicated his new Pear Phone GX sat on the table next to our chicken sharing platter. "I'm surprised you didn't stick with black."

"I fancied a change."

"Well, don't get too dizzy. Grey's not that much different to black."

"It's a start." Beck grinned at me, lifting his phone up and snapping a picture of me before I even realised what he'd done.

"So, working with your dad? Is that what you'll do after school?" I couldn't see Beck as a grease monkey somehow.

"Nah. I enjoy fixing shit, but no. It's not something I want to do for the rest of my life." I rested my arms on the table and leaned forward, watching him.

"What do you want to do with your life? I don't know why, but I don't really see you doing the academia thing at uni." I really hoped he didn't take offence.

"I get that. Admittedly, I'm not the most academic of people, so no. I won't go on to do something like that at uni."

"What do you want to do with your life?" This was quite possibly the most personal conversation we'd ever had, and I noticed Beck was starting to look more than a little embarrassed. "Hey, you don't have to tell me."

"It's fine. I just haven't really spoken about it to anyone before. No one's thought to ask me." I was surprised by that. I thought our group of friends were the kind to know everything about everyone.

"Really? That surprises me."

"Why?"

"Well, you've been friends with these guys for what, at least four years, and not once did any of them think to ask what you wanted out of life? Not even Jade?" His deep brown eyes were tinged with sadness as he spoke.

"I'm sorry Beck. That's crappy." I placed my hand over his. "Well, I'm interested if that makes you feel better."

"Thanks. That means a lot. I never took it personally about the others not asking. We're teenagers, it's part of the job description to be self absorbed and dismissive of those around us."

"I guess so, but I guess I'm just nosy and like to know things about my friends." I grinned at him. "So, you gonna tell me or not?" I nudged his arm with my shoulder.

"Well . . . I guess. . . Wow. I didn't expect this to be so hard to say out loud to someone." He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand as he took a deep breath.

"Look, I was joking. You don't need to tell me if it makes you uncomfortable."

"No, it's not that. I've just never told anyone before. I've never even said it out loud to myself. This is going to sound big headed, but there's a few things I'm good at – like fixing cars, but they've never really satisfied me enough to make me want to keep doing it, but then I enrolled in a drama class three years ago during the summer break." He paused, turning his hand over, gripping mine tightly. "Well, that class made me realise how amazing acting is, and how it was something that would constantly challenge me to keep learning."

I understood where he was coming from. He was an excellent actor, I knew from watching him in our performances together.

"You're a fantastic actor Beck. Every single female in the audiences for _First Date_ fell in love with you as Aaron." I grinned at him.

"I love the freedom acting gives me. I get to hide behind all these different masks and people never need to see the real me. Again, I'm going to sound big headed, but most people don't see beyond my face and hair, especially since Jade and I broke up."

"So, will you remember me when you're a big star?" I teased, to try and get a smile out of him.

"I can't make any promises Vega. Maybe if you come to a film premiere, or hang around outside a stage door in the West End, I might grace you with a selfie." I burst out laughing at him.

"I guess I can live with that." I punched him gently in the arm.

"I can't help it. Fame will propel me to dizzying heights where I will _have_ to believe my own hype and forget those who helped me get to the top. It's the rules." His deep brown eyes were twinkling under the lights. "So, what does Tori Vega want to do with the rest of her life? Does academia beckon?"

"Uh. . . I doubt it." I liked school, but there wasn't any one subject I preferred over any other.

"Well, what is the one thing you love? What makes you feel alive?"

"Music." The word slipped out before I could seriously consider Beck's question.

"What about it in particular?" I wasn't sure how to answer his question. Eventually, I found some words.

"Before I moved to London, I was never really the most outgoing of people unless I was with my friends. Music was a way for me to hide the real me and just pretend to be someone confident in their own skin, not afraid of what anyone else thinks." I looked at him. "Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, it does. It's like me and acting. I get to be so many different people, with music you can put on an act too."

"Yeah. I don't know what changed moving here. I feel like I can be the person I pretend to be, even when I'm not singing or anything." At that confession, I hid my face behind my hair.

"I'm glad you feel that way. After performing with you, I can see how much you shine when you're on stage. Don't hide from anyone, especially not me. Please?" I looked into his brown eyes and nodded. "Right, now get up there and sing me a song." Beck pointed to the stage where a couple of girls were murdering a cheesy pop song I vaguely recognised from hearing on the radio.

"Do I have to?"

"Yep." Grinning, I made my way over to the DJ booth to make my choice.

* * *

"Where have you been all day?" Trina accosted me the moment I walked in. It was dark outside.

"I was with Beck." I dumped my bag on the sofa and walked into the kitchen to make myself a drink.

"Oh, really?" She looked somewhat impressed. "How d'you manage to get that to happen?"

"I went round to see him, and he invited me to go phone shopping."

"I'm sure the Pear Store closed about four hours ago. How picky _is_ he?"

"We went for something to eat at that new karaoke place after he got his new phone." Without another word, she huffed and stomped upstairs to her room. Confused, I continued making my drink before going up to my own room to read.

I rarely sat in silence, but tonight I needed it after the craziness of the karaoke place. I loved taking part, but wasn't a fan of those who thought highly of themselves when they should be more reserved. I relished the peace and quiet, but when my phone bleeped, it sounded so loud, I jumped.

 _Beck Oliver: Great day with this gal! ToriVega. Feeling: Chilled_ Beck had tweeted a picture of me onto the slap. I was stunned.

Tori _Vega: BeckOliver It was fun. You have to sing next time! Feeling: Musical._ I replied. Within moments, a reply pinged onto my phone. Grinning, I settled down into bed and began to type my response.

 _ **Thoughts? I'd love to hear them :)**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: Well, the update is here. It's taken me ages to find the time to sit and write this, along with other stuff. I have to admit, it's not my favourite chapter. I don't know why, but I do know I'll have a bit of fun with these crazy kids in the upcoming chapters :)**_

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own Vistorious, but I do own a pair of the comfiest slippers ever!_**

 _ **Chapter Eight:**_

Sundays are a supposedly a day of rest, but from the moment I woke up until just after lunch, my house was insane. Trina had lost a pair of shoes she'd wanted to wear out and enlisted me to help her find them. Normally I wouldn't mind, but not only does Trina have about seventy five million pairs of shoes, but I'd been up until about two am tweeting with Beck. I couldn't even remember what we'd talked about, but it had been fun, but I was exhausted.

Eventually, we found the shoes and Trina trotted out on sky high heels, leaving me to lie on my bed in the hopes of catching an hour's sleep. My parents were out doing Christ only knew what, leaving the house peaceful. I'd just dozed off, music playing softly in the background when the doorbell rang out. Groaning, I shuffled down to tell whomever it was to go away.

"What's going on with you and Beck?" Cat stood, leaning against my doorframe, sucking on a lollipop. I stood to one side to let her in.

"Jesus. Nothing is going on between us. We're just friends." I flopped onto the sofa.

"I hear you say the words, but my eyes tell me something different." She sat next to me, a wide smile showing off her dimples. "That kiss the other night. It was _supposed_ to be a stage kiss, but it wasn't." I opened my mouth to protest, but she wouldn't let me speak. "I've been in plays before, I know what a stage kiss looks like, and that wasn't one."

I stared at the girl everyone dismissed as being a bit simple and ditzy. I wondered if I could talk to her the way I'd normally talk to Sandy about stuff. My best friend had been too busy to chat after the show finished.

"What is it?" She must have seen something in my eyes.

"I don't know Cat. I'm so confused." I decided to bite the bullet and open up to her.

"Wait. Before you tell me, have you got any lemonade?"

"Yeah, in the fridge." Within minutes, she'd poured herself a large glass and had settled herself on the sofa next to me.

"Tell me. I won't breathe a word to anyone, I promise."

Once I started talking, I couldn't stop. I told her about the kiss, then my misunderstanding about Beck not responding to my texts, and about our day out the previous day.

"I don't know if I'm misreading signals that aren't being sent, or what." I finished up.

"Oh Tori. I think you're both idiots."

"Wait, what?" She wasn't supposed to be insulting me.

"You're both skirting around the feelings you both obviously have for each other. Why don't you just ask him out?"

"Because I'm petrified he'll say no, or worse. . . say yes, then friend zone me." It was the first time I'd admitted out loud to someone other than Sandy that I was attracted to Beck. I'd thought I'd been doing a bang up job hiding it, but obviously not.

"You can't go around not doing stuff because you're scared." Suddenly, the red head jumped onto her feet. "Wait, didn't you promise to buy him dinner if you both made it through the production?"

How the hell did she know about that?

"Well, yeah. How did you kno-"

"Never mind. There's your perfect chance. Text him, ask him out tonight for food."

"We went for food last night. It's not going to make a difference."

"Can you cook?" I stared at her.

"I'm okay." She grabbed my phone off the table and began tapping on the screen. Less than a minute later, it bleeped. A wide grin spread across her face.

"You've got a date in two hours. Let's get everything sorted."

"What did you do?"

"I took charge. Come on." She dragged me into the kitchen and began raiding the fridge and cupboards.

* * *

In the space of an hour and fifty minutes, Cat had shoved me in the shower, brow dried my hair poker straight and picked out an outfit for me before running to the local twenty four hour supermarket to buy ingredients for Bolognese. My house smelled wonderful and I hadn't lifted a finger.

"Right, I'm leaving. Make sure you have fun tonight and let me know how everything goes." She gave me a hug and skipped out of the house giving me enough time to start panicking. What if he didn't show up? What if the food was horrible? Okay, that wasn't going to happen – I'd tried it and it was delicious. But, there were so many what ifs running through my head, I was in danger of hyperventilating.

Before I could really freak out, the doorbell rang. Giving myself a quick once over, I went to open it.

"Wow." I blurted out. Beck looked amazing. Instead of his usual baggy jeans and a vest top, he was wearing black trousers and a black shirt. He'd even pulled his amazing mane of hair back into a sloppy man bun. Momentarily, I was struck dumb at the sight of him.

"Er. . . hi." His voice broke me out of my trance.

"Sorry, come in." I stood to one side to let him past. As I shut the door behind him, I glanced down to see he was still wearing his beat up old boots. For some reason, that calmed me down. "You look great."

"Thanks. I thought I'd make a bit of an effort considering you've cooked." His smile was soft.

"I have a confession. Cat cooked." I almost told him that our red aired friend had set this up, but decided against it. "I was in a panic, so she came over to help."

"Well, it smells great."

I led him into the kitchen where Cat had laid out the table with two place settings, a jug of my homemade lemonade and some candles. I hoped Beck didn't think it was too much.

"This has the Cat touch too." I looked over at him to find him still smiling. He obviously knew Cat better than I did, so this didn't seem out of the ordinary to him.

"Take a seat and I'll dish up."

"No, let me." Beck pulled out one of the chairs at the table and made me sit down. Ten minutes later, he joined me with two plates of food.

"You're the guest. I should be doing that."

"You set this all up, with a little help, so it's the least I can do. We're sharing the cleaning afterwards though." I couldn't help but laugh.

"Deal."

* * *

After eating and cleaning up, Beck and I sat on the sofa and watched a DVD. We'd spent the past hour and a half talking about nothing and everything. We shared a lot of the same likes and dislikes, and were able to have healthy discussions about the things we didn't agree on. Now, we were sat in silence, but it wasn't uncomfortable or overwhelming.

Admittedly, I wasn't paying much attention to the film that was playing. I was hyper aware of the fact that Beck was sat right next to me, close enough I could feel the heat from his leg seeping into my own. We weren't sitting right up against each other, but close enough to feel intimate.

"You okay?" Beck asked suddenly. I looked over to him to find him watching me.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You looked like you were miles away." Leaning back, I sighed.

"I think it's the 'large meal' syndrome." I rubbed my stomach for effect.

"You did eat a decent amount." He nudged me with his elbow, a grin on his face.

"Are you trying to say I'm fat Beck Oliver?" I crossed my arms and faux pouted. After a couple of minutes of silence, I burst out laughing. He looked really uncomfortable and unsure of what to say.

"Oh, that's just mean." He leaned forward and poked me in the stomach. "Any you're anything but fat Tori." He poked me again, making me squirm in my seat.

My squirming caused me to slide down in my seat, and it wasn't until I met Beck's eyes with my own that I realised I was lying flat on my back, underneath him. I couldn't concentrate on anything other than Beck's eyes and the fact that he was hovering over me. The film playing had dulled down to feint background noise as I watched Beck lick his lips as he looked at me.

Before I could think about reorganising our positions, he kissed me. A gentle touch of the lips, tentative contact, soon became more urgent. His tongue was soft and warm as it tangled with mine. The kiss on stage left me feeling lightheaded, but this one. . . This one left me weak.

* * *

"How was dinner?" I'd opened the door to find Cat grinning.

"It was fine." Playing it cool, I stood to one side to let her into the living room so she could see my parents sitting on the sofa behind me.

"Hi Tori's parents!" Cat called out.

"Hi Cat." My mum smiled at my friend as we walked towards the stairs to go up to my bedroom. The moment we were in my bedroom the red head turned on me. "Well?"

"What?"

"Cut the innocent act Tori Vega. You've got a glint in your eye that tells me something happened last night." She sat on my bed and pulled me to sit down next to her.

"We ate dinner, we watched a DVD, and then we kissed. Then he went home."

"Wait, back up a minute. You kissed?" She grabbed my hands and looked me in the eye.

"Yeah, we did." I smiled at her. "And I can't thank you enough Cat. It was wonderful and would never have happened without you."

"Look, anyone who has been watching you two look at each other could tell there was something. You both just needed a little. . . push. So, what happens next?"

"I have no idea if I'm honest. I'm happy as hell last night went the way it did, but I have no idea if or what is happening next and I'm okay with that."

"This is so exciting." Cat bounced on the bed, clapping her hands. "I can't wait til you're a cute couple, being all coupl-y at school."

"Slow your roll Cat. Don't go overboard okay."

"Okay, but _when_ it happens, can I be the first one to congratulate you?" I rolled my eyes and laughed at her.

* * *

The following morning, I arrived at school to find Beck waiting outside the main door.

"Hey." He moved away from the wall at the sound of my voice, a smile on his face.

"Morning." To my utter shock, he pulled me close to him by my hips and planted a quick kiss on my lips. People stopped in their tracks, staring a us, and I couldn't care less.

 ** _Thoughts?_**


End file.
